What are the taste buds of the tongue?

Answer:
The sense of taste is mediated by taste receptor cells which are bundled in clusters called taste buds.Taste receptor cells sample oral concentrations of a large number of small molecules and report a sensation of taste to centers in the brainstem.Taste buds are composed of groups of between 50 and 150 columnar taste receptor cells bundled together like a cluster of bananas. The taste receptor cells within a bud are arranged such that their tips form a small taste pore, and through this pore extend microvilli from the taste cells. The microvilli of the taste cells bear taste receptors. Interwoven among the taste cells in a taste bud is a network of dendrites of sensory nerves called "taste nerves". When taste cells are stimulated by binding of chemicals to their receptors, they depolarize and this depolarization is transmitted to the taste nerve fibers resulting in an action potential that is ultimately transmitted to the brain.
First answer by Mrnaeem86. Last edit by Mrnaeem86. Contributor trust: 62 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 3 [recommend question].